Friday, November 10, 2017

The semi-finals in singles at the 29th International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Junior Racquetball Championships at Lifetime Fitness Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota produced some dramatic matches with more than one upset.

The most dramatic matches were two 11-10 tie-breakers. In Boys U16, Sebastian Fernandez of Mexico came back in the breaker to defeat Diego Garcia of Bolivia, 15-13, 13-15, 11-10. Garcia was up 8-4, and 10-8, but Fernandez came back each time to squeak out the victory. He'll play another Bolivian in the final, as Gerson Miranda (Bolivia) beat Liam Evangelista (Mexico), 15-7, 15-8, in the other semi-final.

In Boys U14, American Akul Ramayani will play for gold on home soil as he overcame match points in both games two and three to defeat Bolivian Hector Barrios, 10-15, 15-14, 11-10. Ramayani will play Mexican Sebastian Longoria in the final, as Longoria beat Ramayani's team-mate Antonio Rojas (USA), 15-14, 15-6, in the other semi.

There was only on tie-breaker from the Girls World Cup divisions, but it was the most surprising one, as top seed in Girls U18 Gabriela Martinez of Guatemala needed three games to get past Bolivian Valeria Centellas, 15-1, 12-15, 11-3. Martinez's win combined with Mexican Montserrat Mejia's win over Stefanny Barrios of Bolivia, 15-12, 15-13, in the other semi means this year's Girls U18 final will be a repeat of last year's Girls U16 final, when Martinez defeated Mejia for the gold medal.

In an upset that didn't require three games, American Mauro Rojas beat Gerardo Franco of Mexico, 15-10, 15-11. Rojas will play another Mexican in the final Saturday, as Eduardo Portillo beat Canadian Trevor Webb in the other semi, 15-3, 15-11. If Portillo wins on Saturday it will be his 2nd consecutive gold medal at World Juniors, as he won gold in Boys U16 last year. If Rojas wins, it will be 2nd medal in U18 as he was a bronze medalist two years ago.

The IRF World Junior Championships conclude Saturday at the Lifetime Fitness Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Check out the IRF Facebook page for live streaming of the event.